Infected
by Liesane
Summary: A 1st person story about the origins of Clarence if he wasn't just a voice inside Philip's head or a split-personality.


**Infected**

I had a wife and kids. Four to be exact. I loved them so much, and they loved me as well, but I had to leave them. "Just for a bit," I told them. "Until they don't need me anymore," I told my wife, Mary. Little did we all know, I would never see them again. They would never be able to see me again.

It was winter, 1970. I was to leave with a British colleague of mine titled Dr. Howard LaFresque. My name I still can't remember. I forgot my name tag in my locker - where it was located I forgot - and that unexpected bang to my head left me a bit shaken and missing some of my brains. I think I may die here, but I'd just like to leave a note if anybody ever finds this base and wishes to give a name to this body instead of just a number.

My name - whether it started with a 'G' or a 'C' or an 'A' I have no clue. Since I'm telling you my story in first person, I don't think I'll ever call my name out in omniscient. Just if you care, though, I like the name 'Clarence'. You can call me by that I guess. It reminds me of that old film It's a Wonderful Life_. _I know what happens at the end, though I've never finished it. I think Clarence finally got his wings. We're nothing alike, but we talk almost the same way.

Anyway (I keep on going off topic) it was winter of 1970. I wanted to stay for Christmas with my family, but I needed to leave. This was something I've always wanted to do, and I'd never get a chance like this again if I declined the invitation. I left with Dr. Howard LaFresque, a friend I've known for years since our adolescence in the short while I've lived in the UK. If I'd have known that he was having a child, I would have confronted him about it, but I would've been a hypocrite then; leaving my own children like that. The location we were going to was Greenland, of all places. It was practically devoid of any living organism. I wish we could have chosen a slightly warmer climate at least. I was shiverin' my balls off the second we got off that ship! We had not brought a sufficient amount of clothes on us, but luckily the hatch wasn't too far away from port.

I was the only American here - and from Boston, Massachusetts. Everyone else was either English or Scottish. There were a few other foreigners, but they had learned English well and had barely an accent. They all sounded like Brits, though. The regulations in there were really strange, and the voice from the announcer lady was really eerie on me... They explained to me that it needed to be like this in case someone got infected from anything... since we were in an abandoned mine and all. I still didn't like it, but I dealt with it.

I was chief medic, ironic as it is for my current situation. Many times there were accidents here and there - whether from the mine or things concerning the virus. I thought it was stupid. We had created this virus. This brought upon us the 'Tuurngait'. I have never believed any of that religious garbage and what-not, but now it terrified me how real it all seemed.

Years passed and the same job continued. Although I was part of the team, they seemed to occult important details and findings from me. This infuriated me. If I was going to be a part of something far grander, than we needed to all share in it as well. When no one was around, I stole the key to the chamber and was revolted at the results I'd found. Since you're reading this now, you've probably already found those damned documents. I've littered them around. Hopefully you've found them.

After a few years, I've noticed how few women there were working at the base. There was a new one here. Her name was Dr. Amabel Swanson. I'm not sure if she's made it or wound up dead or infected, but I hope she's okay. If I weren't married maybe I could've gotten with her. Yeah, maybe in another life. She was a very sweet girl - awkward and a bit shy, but very intelligent; always a great help to the team. Her partner, though, I never got along with. That other medic, Dr. Richard Eminess, was a bit of a wacko. He began acting strangely one day. He was definitely infected. I think he had secluded himself somewhere around here. I hope he didn't infect Amabel.

Speaking of partners:

I've already checked on Howard.

I found him.

He's not in a good state and he wishes to be left alone in that office of his.

I hope he'll be able to make it, as I don't think I'll be able to out in the open like this. This hall's like a maze in my dizzy, feverish head. I've decided to sit down here against a wall.

In case I forgot to include this: I'm bleeding heavily from deep gashes in my abdomen and chest. They've almost got me. I can hear them patrolling outside the doors. Right now I am infected. I had been for a few days. It's slowly consuming my mind. Not only that but... I'm slowly losing my memory - perhaps becoming more bestial by the minute. I am not sure if this is supposed to happen as a symptom, but that painful clang to my head by hell-knows-what makes it difficult to think very well. I hope I haven't damaged anything in there.

Soon I'll probably die. I guess I'll finally get my wings.

...

I open my eyes and I see strange lights all around. I don't feel my body. I _don't_ have my body. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know who I am. Who am I? But, the questions stop there. Somehow I know everything, yet nothing. I hear voices like static friction grating on my consciousness like swarming bees. I open my mouth to speak. All at once I hear a million voices ringing in my ears - where I used to have those ears. Suddenly, I look all around and can see everything and everyone. I feel different. I feel whole. Complete and connected, like I'm in a never-ending web of like-minds and... at once when I speak everyone else does as well. I don't hear my own but everyone else's in this vast galaxy.

I had no past. All I could remember was always being here. I had no name because I needed no name. All of our names were one: Tuurngait. We all knew everything from everyone around us, but we each had no story. We needed no story - and no personality. No individual feelings. Like this we couldn't be individuals and no one would be better than the other. I now spoke in 'we' and felt a particular passion. A burning passion towards the ones who hurt us- mankind. He had forced us here. Here we could be alone. Here we could be together. Nothing would hurt us and there would be no difference. Together we would be strong, and we could finally rest in peace.

But, this was not true. There were still _others - _other humans. Like that man Tom Redwood whose head we've been inside since he was a boy. Howard LaFresque now perishing... and his son Philip slowly succumbing to our reign. We could help them. We could save _them._ Unless they wanted to suffer. They could leave or they could stay. There could only be one chosen option.

Red. Tom Redwood enjoyed calling himself that. He found himself a little less lonely with us speaking to him. Even so, he felt he had no real friends. Therefore, the loneliness and malnutrition were still killing him. We couldn't let him die. We needed him. We needed more members - a more complete society existing together. If he came to us willingly, he would not be alone anymore. Even so, if he managed to end his life without us, he had a chance of escaping our grasp.

Then, there's Philip LaFresque, the son of Dr. Howard LaFresque. Ages felt to have passed since he had been born - ages in a split second. He will have to be stopped. He does not come with friendly intentions.

...

Uuurgh... I... what happened? I... am speaking in 'I' again... How revolting! What is this? Some sort of joke? No... the Tuurngait do not play jokes on their loyal brothers. But suddenly, I'm in a very dark place. There's no more light. There's no more warmth. Where am I? I can only remember that I was home one second and now I am... an individual, it seems...? But, _I _am not... an animal! We are the Tuurngait! This is sick... It feels as if I just came back from a hangover.

I look around and notice two brilliant lights, like screens, opening on the wall. They are in the shape of eyes. I peer out and see an area somewhere in the mine. I believe I've seen this area before - there's a huge empty pit supposed to be full of water. Yuck... It's the sewer... I hear breathing outside of my region and realize my most annoying predicament.

_"Hello? H-Hello? Can you hear me?"_ I call out to the man. My voice echoes in this place. I begin thinking out loud, hoping that maybe this guy could answer a few of my questions. _"What am I doing here? Who am I?"_

I think. This feels a bit like it did in that Red guy's head but... this time... where is everybody?

_"Why can't I hear their voices?"_ No response, no reply, nothing from this guy. I become just a bit irritated. _"Well, thanks for the help! I'm having an existential nightmare, and you can't even say a word!"_ What is he, mute? It's so strange, I wonder if this guy can read my thoughts. He begins to move and look around like mad. Heh, I guess he's confused. I look around in his head. There's a lot of crap in here. Guess this guy's really smart, huh? I can see cobwebs litter the place.

I realize I feel like a part of him. Could it be that this is my new body? Two minds in one? Well, if I think, I realize I can see in my mind's eyes a lot of information: words, feelings, memories. This guy's name is Philip. He's a Brit, but his last name's French. That's a bit ironic to these people, I guess. I notice that everything I know now seems to be pulled from the brain of this monkey. I feel like I know it instinctively, but naturally I don't give a care for this junk. I guess I might as well just sit back and watch this monkey get us out of here.

Who knows? We might be able to develop some sort of _magical_ _'friendship'!_


End file.
